Bird simulating whirling sounding toy



Dec. 29, 1964 F. M. AMATO BIRD SIMULATING WHIRLING souuomc TOY Filed Oct. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

FRANKMAMATO, BY

1% Q 41-70mm Dec. 29, 1964 F. M. AMATO BIRD smuwrzuc WHIRLING SOUNDINGYTOY Filed Oct. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRANK M.AMATO ATTOPMY 3,162,975 BIRD SlMmATiNG WHIRLiNG SGUNDING TQY Frank M. Amato, 1567 RernsenAve., Brooklyn 36, N.Y. Filed Oct. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 230,825 2 laims. (Cl. 46-118) This invention concerns a toy simulating a bird in flight.

According to the invention there is provided a toy having a body simulating that of a bird and having a handle. Two wands or rods simulating wings are rotatably carried by the body and can be whirled in opposite directions around the axis of the body. The rods may be painted with stripes or sectionsof differently colored luminous paint. The body carries a sound box which can be struck by a striker carried by one of the rods. As the rods rotate the sound box emits a sound simulating that of a bird call upon being struck or scraped by the striker. While the rods rotate they simulate flapping wings of a bird in flight.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a toy which simulates a bird in flight when in use.

A further object is to provide a toy having a body simulating a birds body and carrying rotatable rods having differently colored luminescent sections simulating wings of a bird.

Another object is to provide a toy as described with a sounder carried by the body for sounding by a striker carried by one of the rods as the rods rotate.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of part of the toy.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown the toy secured by a central shaft 19 to the forward end of the i body 12. The head 18 simulates the head of a bird while the cylindrical body simulates the body of a bird. Shaft 19 has a head 26 embedded in the head 18 and a shank 21 which is removably seated in axial hole 17 in the handle portion 12. The shank 21 is axially aligned with the axis of the body 12.

Head 18 has a cylindrical portion 22 simulating the neck of a bird. A sound box 24 is secured by screw 26 to the underside of neck 22. The sound box, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has opposed circular walls 28, 30 secured to a cylindrical wall 32. Part of the cylindrical wall 32 is free from the end walls 28, 30 and is corrugated at 34. The corrugated part is out free by an axial slit 36 from wall 32 to form a vibratable tongue 53. When this tongue is struck or scraped, air in the box is vibrated and a sound is emitted through holes 41 in end wall 28.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 19 are two long rods or wands 42, 44. The shaft 19 extends through holes 46, 48 in the rods. These holes are located near ends 50, 52 of the rods. Short end 54 of rod 42 is painted United States Patent O" 3,162,975 Patented Dec. 2%, 1964 white. This rod has a plurality of sections 53 each painted with a differently colored luminous paint. Embedded in end 51) of the rod 42 is one end of leaf spring 55. This spring extends radially outward of the rod and strikes or scrapes the corrugated tongue 33 of the sound box 24, so that sound simulating that of a bird call is emitted as the rod 42 rotates.

Rod 44 is painted white at its short end 52. A plurality of diametral holes 48 and 48 are provided in end 52 in addition to hole 48 so that the rod can be adjustably positioned on shaft 19. A cylindrical spacer disk is provided on shaft 19 between the two rods 42, 44 to prevent contact between the rods as they rotate. The rod 44 has a series of differently colored sections 62 painted with differently colored luminous paints. Atthe outer ends of both rods 42 and 44 are holes 64, 66 which produce whistling sounds as the rods rotate.

The operation of the toy is simple and a remarkably realistic appearance of an actual bird flying in air is ob tained. One of the rods 42, 44, for example rear rod 44, is held substantially motionless while the handle is oscillated to impart a rotary motion to the forward rod 42 which is left free to turn around the body. After the forward rod 42 is properly turning, the rear rod 44 is released at the proper time and it begins to move in the opposite direction. It is preferred that to have the rods 42, 44 moving in opposite directions to obtain the illusion of a bird flying. It is, of course, possible to rotate the rods in the same direction, and a small child who does not have suflicient skill and dexterity to keep the rods moving in opposite directions will derive amusement from rotating the rods in the same direction. In either event, the sound box 24 will intermittently emit characteristic sounds as the rod 42 rotates and both rods will produce whistling sounds as they rotate due to the presence of holes 64, 66. The luminescent bands on the rods provide interesting color effects as the rods rotate. When the rods are rotated in opposite directions the illusion is created of a bird flying with flapping wings. To change the rela tive lengths and peripheral speeds of rotation of the rods, rod 44 is adjustably positionable by removing the shaft 19 from body 12 and repositioning rod 44 in shaft rod 19 by insertion of the shaft through a diiferent one of holes 48 48 The shaft 19 can then be reinserted in hole 17 in the body 12. g

The toy provides considerable entertainment and amusement to both the user and spectators. Interest of the user heightens as his skill in turning the rods 42, 44 at different speeds increases with practice.

The toy is inexpensive to manufacture, it is durable and long lasting.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

1. A spinner toy simulating a bird in flight, comprising a generally cylindrical body with a handle, a shaft having one end removably inserted in the body axially thereof, a pair of long rods each rotatably engaged near one end thereof on the other end of said shaft, spacer means spacing the rods axially on said shaft, and a head secured on the other end of the shaft, said head simulating in form the head of a bird, and said rods simulating flapping wings of a bird in flight when the rods are rotated in opposite directions while the handle is oscillated laterally, each of said rods having a plurality of longitudinal sections coated with differently colored luminous paint to heighten the similarity of the rods to wings of a bird as the rods rotate,

one of said rods having a plurality of axially spaced holes at said one end thereof for adjustably positioning said one rodon said shaft, each of the rods having holes near the other ends thereof for emitting whistling sounds as the rods rotate, a corrugated sound emitting device secured to said head, and a striker member secured to said one "end oflthe other rod, said striker memberbeing disposed to engage the corrugations of said sound emitting device intermittently as said other rod rotates for producing sounds simulating bird calls.

2. A spinnertoy simulating a bird in flight, comprising a generally cylindrical body with a handle, a shaft having one end removably inserted in the body axially thereof,

a pair of long rods each rotatably engaged near one end thereof on the other end of said shaft, spacer means spaceach of said rods having a plurality of longitudinal sections coated with dilferently colored luminous paint to heighten the similarity of the rods to wings of a bird as the rods rotate, one of said rods having a plurality of axially spaced holes at said one end thereof for adjustably positioning'said one rod on said shaft, each of the rods having holes near the other ends thereof for emitting Whistling sounds as the rods rotate, a sound emitting device'secured to said head, and a striker member secured to said one end of the other red, said striker member being disposed to engage the sound emitting device intermittently as said other rod rotates for producing sounds simulating bird calls, said sound emitting device including a ho); having a vibratable corrugated tongue, said strikerl member being a leaf spring extending radially from said other rod to engage the corrugations in the tongue as said'other rod rotates.

128,239 ,Morris- June 25, 1872 1,693,140 .Dietze NOV. 27, 1928 2,489,107 Rheingold et a1. Nov. 22, 1949 r 2,726,480 Lawter Dec. 13, 1955 2,956,369 Rolin Oct. l8, 1960 1 v FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Oct. 10, 

1. A SPINNER TOY SIMULATING A BIRD IN FLIGHT, COMPRISING A GENERALLY CLYINDRICAL BODY WITH A HANDLE, A SHAFT HAVING ONE END REMOVABLY INSERTED IN THE BODY AXIALLY THEREOF, A PAIR OF LONG RODS EACH ROTATABLY ENGAGED NEAR ONE END THEREOF ON THE OTHER END OF SAID SHAFT, SPACER MEANS SPACING THE RODS AXIALLY ON SAID SHAFT, AND A HEAD SECURED ON THE OTHER END OF THE SHAFT, SAID HEAD SIMULATING IN FORM THE HEAD OF A BIRD, AND SAID RODS SIMULATING FLAPPING WINGS OF A BIRD IN FLIGHT WHEN THE RODS ARE ROTATED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS WHILE THE HANDLE IS OSCILLATED LATERALLY, EACH OF SAID RODS HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL SECTIONS COATED WITH DIFFERENTLY COLORED LUMINOUS PAINT TO HEIGHTEN THE SIMILARITY OF THE RODS TO WINGS OF A BIRD AS THE RODS ROTATE, ONE OF SAID RODS HAVING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED HOLES AT SAID ONE END THEREOF FOR ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING SAID ONE ROD ON SAID SHAFT, EACH OF THE RODS HAVING HOLES NEAR THE OTHER ENDS THEREOF FOR EMITTING WHISTLING SOUNDS AS THE RODS ROTATE, A CORRUGATED SOUND EMITTING DEVICE SECURED TO SAID HEAD, AND A STRIKER MEMBER SECURED TO SAID ONE END OF THE OTHER ROD, SAID STRIKER MEMBER BEING DISPOSED TO ENGAGE THE CORRUGATIONS OF SAID SOUND EMITTING DEVICE INTERMITTENTLY AS SAID OTHER ROD ROTATES FOR PRODUCING SOUNDS SIMULATING BIRD CALLS. 